One Last Stop
by poeticgrace
Summary: Two old flames reignite during a fateful taxi ride is the City of Angels.
1. Chapter 1

Dylan McKay had spent most of his life being angry. He had been angry that his parents got divorced, that his father went to jail, that his mother ended up in Hawaii, that Brenda never came back from London, that Kelly fell in love with his best friend, that his wife died, that life just wasn't fair. He had been dealt a privileged but rough hand from the start. Between losses and addictions, vices and heartaches, things hadn't been so easy during his thirty-five years on the planet. And yet, he somehow managed to end up happy.

It started when he was just around thirty, the last time he got sober and this beautifully complicated brunette walked into his life. He had no way of knowing how Gina Kincaid would change, or even really that she had, until a few years after she left. Things with Kelly went south pretty quickly after David and Donna's wedding, and he ended up where he always did – alone. It was then that he had regained control of his future, realizing that he had to find it in himself and not some romantic notion of love.

When he had first considered what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, Dylan had made a short list of the things that he loved. Besides travel and surfing, the only other thing he had ever really cared about was writing and driving. Worried that the minute his passion became work, he elected for the second option and bought a fleet of cabs. It was the last thing anyone expected, but he was happy behind the steering wheel. It was uncomplicated. People got in the car, gave him some money and then they left. His life was a lot like that, and in some strange way, it came to make sense.

Back on the East Coast, Gina had done everything that she could to forget Dylan. She never went back to Los Angeles to visit Donna or Felice, preferring instead that they see her when they were in New York and then eventually heading to Japan once the Silvers settled there. She had went through a hard transition after the breakup and losing her father, forced for the first time to build a life on her own without a coach, an agent or a trainer to tell her what to do. Living in New York had been perfect for her. She had become incredibly independent quickly and found her life's passion by covering lifestyle pieces for an online figure skating magazine.

That's what brought her back to Los Angeles that September morning. She was there to cover the latest "next big thing" to hit the skating world. It was just supposed to be a couple days in the city, her first in a decade. No one knew that she was coming, not that any of them would care. However, as a cruel twist of fate would have it, they would soon all know. That twist of fate came in the form of Dylan McKay.

"Where to, miss?"

Gina hadn't even bothered to look at the cabbie but was taken aback when she heard a distinctly familiar voice. Her eyes darted immediately to the rear view mirror where she met Dylan's steady gaze. She could read the surprise in his look as well, knowing that he hadn't recognized her behind oversized dark sunglasses and a floppy red beret.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Dylan laughed humorlessly and shrugged. "Gina Kincaid, well, this is certainly unexpected."

Her walls were already up. "You're telling me," she muttered. "You're a cabbie now? What happened to all of your money, Dylan? Did it run out? Or maybe Kelly spent it all. Either way, I guess I shouldn't be surprised this what you ended up doing with your life."

It wasn't the first time someone had a misinformed opinion about his situation, but he was a little shocked at how angry she sounded. It had been a long time, and unlike most of his former flames, they had actually parted on good terms. They had both been in different places at that time. "It's good to see you too," he joked lamely before smiling at her in the mirror. Age and time had been kind to her. She was still as beautiful and graceful as she had been a decade ago when he had been lucky enough to hold her in his arms. "Where are you headed, Gina?"

"The Beverly Hills Hotel," she answered while pretending to look busy with her phone. The last thing she wanted was any reminder of her past – their past – there. She hadn't exactly asked to be put up there but also hadn't argued against it when her manager made the arrangements. "You can just drop me off at the front entrance. Thank you."

Her curt, formal tone did nothing to deter Dylan's singular mission of finding out why she was here. "So, Beverly Hills Hotel? I haven't been there in awhile," he lied. The truth was that he was still living there. He had never really acclimated to having a place of his own again, too used to housekeeping and room service taking care of his every need. He just knew that if Gina knew, there would be no way that she was going to stay there. Her hostility was enough to indicate that honestly wasn't necessarily the best policy with her, at least not yet. "What has you back in LA?"

"A story," she answered shortly before putting in her earbuds. The sounds of U2 drown out her ex-boyfriend as she leaned back in the seat and watched the Los Angeles skyline pass her by. Once she was satisfied that he wasn't going to ask her any more questions, she pulled a notebook from her handbag and started jotting down a rough outline of her article. When she realized Dylan's eyes were more interested in her than the road, she pushed down her sunglasses and glared at him critically. "Pay attention, Dylan. I would like to get there alive."

The past year had been wrought with bad news. She had lost her mother after a long battle with cancer and had barely seen Donna or Felice since leaving California. They had tried for awhile to act like family, but life had gotten in the way of itself and made that nearly impossible. Donna spent most of her time in Japan with David and the baby trying to work on their relationship. She really didn't have time for a cousin-turned-sister that she hadn't been close to for years. Gina had made her few close friends in New York her family but had never entirely gotten over the huge gaping hole left in her life.

The only thing that had really been her sanity was her work. She had learned to love the sport all over again when she had taken on the second career, writing about something she had once known better than she knew herself. There had been a time when Gina hadn't known who she was without skating. Now, she had found a balance where she could still be passionate about it without letting it take over her entire world. She was even flirting with skating again, just touring as part of an exhibition or possibly coaching.

"So how is everyone?" she finally asked. Curiosity was an unfortunate thing that made her care more than she wanted. "How are Steve and Janet? Maddy must be so big by now."

Dylan smiled softly at the mention of his goddaughter. They had gotten off to a bumpy start, but he was a good godfather. She filled a place in his life that his sister had once occupied. "Maddy is amazing," he admitted proudly. "They have another kid, a little boy named Cooper. He's six. Donna and David are his godparents actually. Janet is a great mom, and Steve, well, Steve is still Steve."

Gina laughed knowingly. Steve was impossible not to like and was one of the few people in the close-knit crew she had never had a problem with really. "And Noah, is he still around?"

"Yeah, he married Ellen a few years ago. He is running the After Dark again. I don't see him much but he seems good. They left town for a while, you know, but he is good."

"I still see Matt sometimes," she said of her former boss. Dylan hadn't wanted to like the lawyer but had seen why Kelly and even Gina liked him so much. "He is still in the city, helping his sister-in-law. We have dinner every once in awhile to catch up. He's doing pretty well at district attorney's office in Manhattan. I realize that you don't care but he's the only one I still see." What they were both avoiding, what she didn't want to know and what he couldn't really tell her about, was Kelly. Finally, biting on her bottom lip with an ounce of feigned courage, she asked the question. "And Kelly? How is she?"

"She lives in Washington."

"Washington the state or Washington the city?"

"The city…" he answered shortly.

"With Brandon," she finished for him. "Wow, when did that happen?"

"When I got strung out on drugs that summer in Mexico when I was 19," he answered bitterly. He had never really had Kelly since then, not since she chased his best friend across the country to watch him meeting the president. "No, uh, we broke up a few months after Donna and David got married. The chemistry was still there, but it was just as explosive and toxic as ever."

"And so she went back to Walsh."

"Indeed, she did," he confirmed. He knew that Kelly was happy with Brandon. They had gotten married four years ago and adopted a set of twin girls from Mongolia two years after that. Dylan had been there for the wedding and had even danced with both Brenda and Kelly. "That's where she belongs. She was always going to end up with him, I think. Just like Brenda was destined to be a stage actress in London and I was supposed to end up here in LA, driving a cab."

"And what was I destined to do, Dylan?"

"Run into me here, at this moment, in this cab, so that we could fall in love all over again."


	2. Chapter 2

Dylan's bold statement was met by the slam of a cab door. Gina didn't even acknowledge the sheer absurdity of his claim. The last thing she planned on doing was handing over her heart on a silver platter for the likes of him. She had been down that road once, only to get burned on her out of town. Their whole relationship had been dangerous for her, broken beyond repair from the start. Gina hadn't liked who she was with Dylan, and she wasn't to go backward again.

However, Dylan wasn't about to give up so easily. Like he had once craved alcohol, narcotics and a few other women, he had Gina Kincaid in his system. She had appeared back into his life uninvited but not altogether unwelcomed. She belonged there, with him, whether she knew it or he was sure of it. Gina had saved him when everyone else had given up on him. She had tried to help him when everyone else just wanted to tell him what to do. He had to believe there was still a part of that somewhere in her.

"Stop following me," she said suddenly, whirly around on her heel to stare him in the eye. Her jaw was set defiantly, dark eyes blazing. She was so beautiful when she was like this, full of life and roaring for a fight. "Do you hear me? I am not interested in whatever line you are selling, Dylan. I have a good life. I'm actually happy."

"We could be happy," he attempted. Gina laughed cruelly and shook her head. He knew it was bad before he said it, completely cheesy and devoid of any real sentiment. "I just want to have a cup of coffee with you. What does that hurt? Nat is still over at the Pit. I'm sure he'd love it if you stopped by to say hello. What do you say? Will you do at least that?"

Gina looked down the street toward the hotel and frowned. She knew that she shouldn't give in. Going anywhere with Dylan couldn't possibly be a good idea. "I have work to do," she declared softly, but they both knew her resolve was already gone. After a few more moments of pretending to be reluctant, she stared at him long and hard. "One cup of coffee so that I can see Nat. I will call another cab from the Peach Pit to take me to the hotel."

"I can bring you back," he offered. "Really, it's no trouble."

"Yes, it is," she disagreed. It was trouble in every sense of the word. "It's trouble for me."

Fifteen tensely quiet minutes later, Dylan parked his shiny yellow cab in a reserved parking space near the rear entrance of the gang's favorite hangout. She greeted the café owner with a warm hug. He had always been kind to her, even when no one else thought she deserved it. Nat knew that Gina cared about Dylan a great deal and that made her part of his family. The two of them left Dylan behind as they caught up over a hot cup of brew and a slice of his famous peach pie.

Before she knew it, a half-hour had gone by, and Gina knew what pretty much everyone was up to. She had seen pictures of Nat's son and then Steve's kids. She had heard about Brandon's new job in DC and about Joanie's new shop just down the street and how Valerie was doing with a new club she'd just opened in Vail. She also was lucky enough to visit with Noah when he stopped in for his morning cup of coffee and made plans to have dinner with him while she was in town. The entire time, Dylan sat back quietly, intently to watch her enjoy the sense of coming home.

Finally, Gina peeled herself from the stool to make a call. The lunch rush was starting to pickup, making Nat's free time less and less available. She thanked him again and hugged him after promising to come by for another meal before she left LA. With one last nostalgic look around the diner, she made her way outside and into the warm Los Angeles sun.

"You don't need that," Dylan announced, reaching for her phone to end the call. Gina was a little faster than him, clutching tightly to her phone as she stepped out of his grasp. Grumbling to himself, Dylan stalked over to Gina's refuge on the street corner. "Come on, just let me take you back to the hotel. This is silly. You're just wasting your money and my time."

"Sorry to inconvenience you," she shot back dryly, raking her hand through her dark hair. Gina was already tired from traveling, and now she was tired of her past. More than that, she was mad. She was mad that Dylan was putting her through this and even more angry that it was getting to her like this. "I told you the parameters before we got here."

"And I never accepted," he pointed out. "Let me just take you home."

"Home is in New York, Dylan," she reminded him. "I am going back to a hotel. You know, just a temporary place I'm staying for a couple days until I go home. Home to New York. You get it yet?"

"I could drive a cab in New York," he thought aloud. "They have great museums there. Lots to learn."

"New York is a big city," she announced. "Look, if I agree to let you drive me back to the hotel, will you leave me alone and quit talking?" Gina knew that she was risking a lot by agreeing to let him have any control, but her resolve was decidedly weak at this point. A compromise was in order.

"That's a start," he told her before taking her hand and leading her back to his car. Dylan held open the back door for to slide in, taking care to make sure she was securely inside before shutting the door. Jogging around to the other side, he slid behind the wheel and pulled out into busy traffic.

When they were a few blocks from the diner, Gina realized that they were headed in the opposite direction of the hotel. "Uh, Dylan, this isn't the right way."

"One last stop, Gina," he announced before turning up the radio, the only sure way to drown her out. Gina was angry but knew that her only means of escape would be to jump out at a light. Besides, now she was a little curious about his mysterious mission. With all the familiar sights of LA passing her by, she thought it best to just sit back and enjoy the ride.

However, jet lag soon set in, and Gina felt herself hypnotized by the lines of palm trees and bright blue sky. She feel asleep easily, her wrap spread over her like a blanket and the cool glass window providing the perfect pillow. Dylan watched her dozing at a stoplight in the mirror. She really was beautiful.

When she came to, Gina found herself still in the cab, sitting idly at the curb in front of a familiar house. It was the house that Donna had watched for her parents' friends all those years ago, the one with the pool where she nearly drowned. Gina hated this place. She hated it and everything that it represented. That had been a very dark day in her relationship with Dylan, one that had nearly cost her everything. It was all because she had loved him and wanted to help it. It was all because he was too selfish to get the help he needed without completely destroying her.

"Get me out of here." It wasn't a plea or a request. Rather, it was a strong statement said with all that hatred and anger of a woman scorned. "I mean it, Dylan, I don't want to be here."

"Me neither," he said softly. "But we have to be here for you to understand."

"To get what?"

"That this isn't me anymore. All of that stuff that day, it's gone, Gina. We're not those people anymore."

"Exactly, Dylan."

"I haven't been that person in a long time. I think you knew that before you left. Yeah, I wasn't fair to you. I thought that there were old things there that turned out to be false. I was wrong. I can admit that now without spiraling out of control," he revealed. "But I think you should know that I also can hold onto what I want without turning it into an obsession. I know you came back here for something totally different, but there is a reason you ended up in my cab. I believe in fate, Gina. I believe that I was meant to see you today. I believe that you were sent back to me to stir up all these old feelings again."

"I'm not some lost little girl anymore, Dylan. I don't need you to find me or put me back together or save me. I don't need your money. I am strong and I am independent. I'm not going to come second to anyone. I have dreams, goals. I want to have a family, be a mother. I love my job. I'm actually pretty good at it. I have this whole life without you and I plan on keeping it that way. You're not worth losing myself for."

"I know you don't need me. I'm not sure that you ever really did, despite what I might have made you think. I'm glad that you're happy, Gina, I really am. I love that you have your life together and that you know what you want," he assured her. "I just think there is room in that life for me. I don't want you to lose yourself. We both know who we really are now. All I am asking for is a chance to get to know that woman. I should have taken more time to do that ten years ago."

Pulling on the ends of her hair absently, Gina contemplated his request. It was simple enough and seemed sincere. And yet, there was that nagging reminder in the back of her head that said she was setting herself up for something terrible. "I'm a writer now, you know," she announced suddenly. "That's something we have in common. I write for a living. I'm actually pretty good at it."

"I know, I've read everything you've written," he finally confessed. The truth was that while, yeah, it had been a coincidence that she had ended up in his car, Dylan had kept an eye on Gina's career. He hadn't interfered or helped at all. He just liked knowing that she was doing well. "I have a lot of the clippings at home. You're good, Gina. You have a gift. More than that, I know you love skating again. It's there in your words."

She smiled widely. His compliment made her overtly proud. "Thank you."

"Well, you're welcome," he grinned back.

Gina spent the next three days busy with her writing assignment and catching up with her old friends in LA. She saw the Sanders and had dinner with Noah and perfected an article that would be published on the front page of the sports section come Sunday morning. Most of all, she spent time getting to know Dylan again. She remembered why she fell in love with him and what made their relationship work and tried not let it all overwhelm her at once. And then, she went home to New York and her great apartment and wonderful friends and missed Dylan terribly.

It took two months of talking daily to convince him to move there and a year of dates and spending nights between his place and hers before he asked her to marry him. She took a week to decide and six to plan the wedding. Everyone thought it was a short courtship, but she figured that it was more than a decade in the making. As the toasted their love with family and friends in that famous diner back in LA, Gina could only smile at Dylan. She was thankful he was at the curb that day and he was thankful that she had been his fair. One last stop was all it took to make her fall in love again. One last stop was all it took to make their lives start all over, together, again.

Fin.


End file.
